As the Storm Raged
by AllytheVamp
Summary: Doyle walks through a storm for some reassurance.


As the Storm Raged

Disclaimer: Joss owns characters, not me...this is a recording...Joss owns characters-

Dedications: To the guy I loved and probably always will~ I can't forget you!

Authors Notes: Enjoy something I whipped up when I was feeling all poetic. Takes place after Hero. In my universe, Reiff unplugs the thing before Doyle can blink or kiss Cordy. Forgive any name-spelling errors! I love writing fic! Did I mention that?

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Lightening sliced through the velvet sky, as the angry rain soaked him to the core. He wasn't sure what he was doing there on a night like this. He dug into his pocket for the rancid liquid and glared at it. It crashed into the pavement as he dropped it and moved on. He didn't want to drink it away. The pain was too raw. Too fresh.

Angel wasn't speaking to him. The whole way back to the office after the Scourge had almost taken them all out, the icy, exhausted silence had burned through him. Angel wanted to be the hero. Angel wanted the freedom of his redemption, the same as he had. Neither of them had gotten it, when the young demon had leapt and saved them all. Angel was furious. He had only wanted to get away.

Cordelia. Beautiful, amazing Cordy who had agreed to go out to dinner with him. He had nearly kissed her that night. If he was going to die he had wanted that to be his last memory of her. She had sat in the back of Angel's car, staring blankly out the window. She may have been angry too. No one that night knew anything but their own feelings.

He shook the rain out of his hair as he stepped hesitantly into the building. He sucked in a breath, realizing how cold the rain had made him for the first time. Rubbing his hands together, he rang the room.

It surprised him that she answered.

"Hello?"

"It's me, Princess. I know it's late but-"

"Doyle?" Her voice cracked slightly. "You sound cold."

"I'm frozen." Allen Francis Doyle admitted.

"Come up."

The door buzzed loudly and Doyle rushed in. Warmth greeted him and he blew on his icy fingers. His shoes squeaked on the linolium. The night security guard kept an eye on him and glared. Doyle tried his best to ignore as he stepped into the elevator. He couldn't believe how soaked he had gotten. Every article of clothing on him, minus his boxers, were either damp of dripping. He hoped no one would care.

The door binged and Doyle stepped into the hall. 

When he arrived at Cordy's apartment he paused. _What if she won't let me come in? What in the name of the world am I here for?_

Cordy opened the door slowly. Doyle leaned tiredly against the frame. He shrugged as she looked over his wet clothes. He shivered violently and shook his head. 

"Can I come in?"

Wordlessly, she let him in. She stopped him in the doorway.

"Let me get you a towel. We have to get you out of those wet clothes." Cordy grabbed his jacket and flung it towards the hat-rack, although her aim was off by a few feet. Before it could fall to the floor it suddenly floated to it's destination. 

"Thanks Dennis." She said vaugely. She managed a small smile. "I'll be right back. Maybe you can wear a sweater of mine or something."

Doyle nodded wordlessly. He waited in her doorway, taking off his shoes and socks. Cordy came back with a few towels and a jersey. 

"I can't do anything about the pants, but I have that. An old boyfriend gave it to me. I don't know why I kept it, since the guy was a loser and I never even really liked him so-" She was babbling, obviously nervous.

"Princess," Doyle interrupted, his voice shaking unintentionally. She stopped talking and looked at him expectantly. He sighed heavily, losing his thoughts. "I'm going to get changed."

Cordelia watched him go and felt herself shiver. He had almost died. Twice. He had saved her and then prepared himself to do it again. He was willing to give his life for her. She was stiil reeling from that realization that needed no confirming. She closed her eyes and prayed all the confusion would go away.

***

The storm was even more wild now. The rain was harder, pounding incessantly on her window and the roof. The lightening was fierce against the night's blackness and the thunder roared every so often, catching her off guard. It was hard to imagine that Doyle had walked in such a terrible strom.

Cordelia watched it, facinated and even a little frightened. Storms had always shaken her up. 

Suddenly a strange warmth flooded into her and she closed her eyes slightly. Doyle's breath tickled her neck as he leaned over beside her from behind the couch.

"Pretty nasty storm, yea." He came around and sat down next to her, putting his legs up on the coffee table.

Cordy smiled at the way he sat. It didn't matter if he were in Buckingham Palace, he'd still put those darn feet on whatever was nearest.

"These kind always scare me," she confessed as a bolt of lightning flickered over the sky. "It's like the sky is angry and trying to destroy everything below it."

Doyle nodded thoughtfully watching her face. "Cordy, what happened last night?"

Her body went stiff and for a fleeting moment Doyle wondered if now was an appropriate time to talk about it. Then he suddenly didn't care. An overpowering hunger entered him. He needed to know what was in her mind. How she felt about everything.

"You were going to die for me." She whispered.

Doyle opened his eyes wide and reached out to brush the hair from her face. He needed to look into those eyes again. "Do you think I'm a coward, Princess?"

Her body stiffened again and she whirled around, her brown eyes flashing. "How can you say that? You were ready to die!"

"But I didn't." Doyle replied numbly. "I let him die. The poor lad thought he needed to do it. I could of stopped him. But I didn't."

"You couldn't! He jumped before any of us saw! Doyle, don't put this on your shoulders!" Cordy was standing now, her eyes never leaving his.

"I wanted to!" He got up and faced her, breathing hard. "I wanted to take fall, cause it would've made me free! I had redemption in my grasp and I let an innocent boy die so that I could stay here!"

"Screw redemption." She hissed, tears shimmering in the dim light. "Screw your damn redmption! It happened because it was supposed to! I didn't want you to, Doyle! I thought I was going to die, if you saved me again and didn't come back..." A sob escaped her throat, and Cordy wiped her eyes furiously. "If you have to die for it then I hope you never get redemption!"

Doyle felt the air leave his lungs and an overwhelming love for this girl resurface. His voice caught as another roll of thunder rocked them.

"Why? Why all of the sudden do you care so much?" He knew how harsh it was. He didn't care. "I thought you could barely stand me."

"No!" She almost shouted the word. "I just never realized who you were. I never had anyone like you. No one who put up with everything I do and still cared. No one has ever called me Princess the way you do. I always thought it was a stupid nickname and now suddenly I love it. And no man I ever met has been prepared to die for me. Ever. I was never worth it." Cordy was crying now. Her body shook and she tried to hide behind her hair. Doyle came forward, feeling as though he were in a daze. "But I feel like I am now. If they took you away, I'd die too."

His hands found hers and he leaned his forehead against hers. "Princess," he murmured. "I'm not a good man, so I don't think I'm supposed to ever be this happy."

Cordy gasped softly. "I know you were trying to get your freedom, but it felt like part of that was for me."

"It was." He opened his eyes and gazed at her. He smiled crookedly. "Where do we go from this?" Unconsciously his arms encirled her and pulled her close.

Mirth filled her face and she laughed softly. "I would think you'd kiss me now."

It was all the motivation he needed.

And for a first kiss...it was amazing.

FIN

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